Archive for August 31, 2010

The Triathlon Rx | August 31, 2010
14 comments

A Fresh Page.

Ohhh my ‘Lanta. How’s that for a two week absence?!? No need to give excuses – it just is what it is.So let’s get started…

First of all, IT issues. And that would be IT as in I – T, not it. If you’re reading via Google reader, you may not have noticed that my layout and heading have CHANGED. This was not exactly intentional, but in updating my previous theme, it wiped out my custom header and personalized settings. FAIL! However, it did force me to spruce things up a little around here. So if you’re reading ing Google Reader, please (!!) click on over and tell me what you think of the new header, the layout, what am I missing (?), and any other comments. Minnesota Nice comments though – that constructive criticism. :)   Here is what I have noticed, and would love your help if you are blogging/internet/html savvy and know how to fix it!

  1. When you are on the main homepage, just reading the posts through scrolling down (versus clicking on each individual post), there is no link to leave a comment!?!? This used to be linked down by the tags, at the bottom of each post. How/where do I edit the html code to put that back in?
  2. When I list things… the text is all squished together. I don’t like it. How could I make it 1.5 spaced like the rest of the text?

Um… that’s actually all I can think of that’s different. My pages tabs have moved to the right side bar, my “fueled by” sponsors/links have moved over to the right side, and so has my search bar… what am I forgetting about?

Just to note in the mean time, you CAN still comment! (haha, no pressure though.) :) You just have to on an individual post page (click on the title of the post) and scroll to the bottom. Frustrating, I know, but hopefully I’ll have it figured out soon!

OK, now we begin.

In all of seven days, I’m going to be renewing my student status and heading back to campus at my dearly beloved University of Minnesota. And trust me, this girl will not be dragging her feet. Summer 2010 will not exactly be looked upon “fondly” in my books. Alright, no B.S. – it was truthfully the worst summer I have ever had. I’m looking forward for this summer to be done, and I’m ready to just leave it at that – close the chapter, and turn a new page.

ANYWAYS.

What am I looking forward to other than summer ending? A lot. Copious amounts. Heaps, loads, MUCHO!! But for the sake of time (and your sanity) I betcha I can break it down to three:

SCHOOL

Yes. I am looking forward to school. Class. Homework. Cadavers, textbooks, exams – bring it. I know my major is the right fit for me because I get out of bed and I’m excited about it. Every. Damn. Day. And AMEN for that, because I went through that year and a half of unsureness when I started out doing architecture. (THROWWW BACK POST! I look so young! [Edit: that was only two years ago you doof!] I miss my dad!!!) And that’s OK – if I have any young guns out there going off to college (or still in high school!!), let me tell you two things. A) Say HI!! One of my new favorite people in the world left her first comment recently, and I love that girl! I want to hear from you!! Oh yea… B) You do not need to know what you want do do/be “when you grow up” when you go to college. That’s what college is for! Take classes outside your comfort zone. Use your general eds to explore different fields and see what really lights your fire. [That sounded dirty when I reread for editing. How old am I??]

On track… on track.

I’m excited and looking forward to school. Here is my schedule for the fall semester – classes only. I may or may not be adding on one more 1 credit class (another PE – Kines needs 5 to graduate, and I’m at 3) but I need to wait and see how some other things (that I’m also looking forward to!) pan out. ;)

  1. Into to Kinesiology. Yes. I am taking this way late in the game. Oops!
  2. Sports Psychology.
  3. Intermediate Swimming. Will get to do my own workouts, since the prereq for “intermediate” is “PE 1007 or equiv, proficient ability to swim 100 meters or instr consent.” 100 meters? I think I’ve got it covered. ;)
  4. Human Physiology + Lab
  5. Motor Development Across the Lifespan
  6. [Potentially.....] another PE, Monday nights, 6:45 – 8:30

TRAINING

It probably doesn’t blow your mind that I’m looking forward to training, but when you hear that I’m still not running… it might. Its true – I was SUPER down about not being able to run – pretty much this whole summer. And I’m definitely still bummed about that. But I am in the hands of some of the best sports medicine doctors the Twin Cities has to offer, and for that, I am so grateful. I feel so solid in the decisions I’ve made about racing and training this year, so solid in my coach, my goals, and the plans she has given me to help me reach them, and more solid than flipping Fort Snelling in having given this one over to God.

And also pretty solid in rocking my new prescription sleeve. It makes me feel like I’m almost still a runner. Did I mention I love my sports med team?

Note: nope – I’m not on the UMN XC team. Just a groupie. :/

MY FUTURE

I will tell myself over and over again, until it’s permanently engraved in my mind. I can do anything through Him who strengthens me. I’m entering the new school year with a good attitude, a solid head on my shoulders (jeeez, you’d think I like the word solid or something… [note the official sarcasm color]) and a strong hand of faith on my shoulder. There are plenty of opportunities out there just waiting to be seized, and oh man, do I plan on seizing. In fact, I plan on going pro at it, so watch out! This summer blowed, but that doesn’t mean the rest of the year has to.

Life is only what you make of it my friends. If you’re questioning whether or not your makin’ of it… I ask you this: If not today… then when? (That is a direct shout out to YOU mama bear! I love you!!)

Alright kiddos… [I do realize the majority of my readers are older than me... I should change that out. This editing-post-writing is a good thing. Highly recommended.] Scratch that. Alright compadres, it’s time to wrap. The Twins just beat the Tigers. The world is right. (Or is it solid..?) :) And it’s bedtime.

READER Qs: Are you tech savvy//very empathetic, and can help me fix my html to make the comment link reappear? What are you taking this semester if you are still in school? What was your favorite course in college if you are all done?

Sleep tight!
-E

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The Triathlon Rx | August 28, 2010
2 comments

Hold tight!

Please bear with me for the weekend…. Dr.TriRunner is undergoing several changes, due to the fact that “updating” my theme completely wiped all my previous custom settings! I am too busy to go back and fix it (read: can’t figure out where the custom header part was in the html… don’t remember how to work with the FTP… ugh!), plus the sight could use a little updating… don’t ya think?! ;)

Be back soon. Promise!

-E

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The Triathlon Rx | August 18, 2010
21 comments

Pre-Race Breakfasts // What to eat?!

Alright guys… I am SO excited to share this post with yall! (Woooah dog.. I’m not from Texas. Where did that come from?!) Not only because it answers my most frequent reader question and now I can just refer them to this post… ;) but also because I got to collaborate with some of my favorite athletes! [Haha I just realized my own answers are in this list. I wasn't trying to say that I'm my own favorite athlete!]

The questions is usually phrased something like: “I’m just getting into [running, triathlons, etc.] and I signed up for my first race!! But I don’t know what to EAT before or during the race!! Any advice?” The answer to that question is SUPER individualized, and just because something works for me, or these other lovely athletes down below, does not necessarily mean it will work for you. But you never know until you try, and I think our “go-to”s will give you some good starting ground!

For more PRE-RAE PREP, aside from delicious // butt-kicker breakfasts, check out my post Train on Top Volume 4.1 – PRE RACES!!

Mom

@ No blog. She should though because she has some awesome artwork featuring Minneapolis photography for sale. If you’re interested, let me know!

1 // What races do you participate in?

I am no longer racing, but raced a lot in the ‘80s and ‘90s:  many Grandma’s and Twin Cities marathons; the Boston Marathon, Las Vegas Marathon, Houston Marathon, three marathons in Utah, Easy Street to Lake Street Half-Marathon, New Prague Half-Marathon, Hennepin Lake Classics, Edmund Fitzgerald relays, Melpomene 5K, Victory Memorial 10K, among many other races.

2 // Your stand-by pre-race fuel

My pre-race fuel was a peanut butter bagel and banana along with several energy gel packs during marathons.

Me!

@ Right here my friend… :D

1 // What races do you participate in?

I’ve been through it all… from the mile and two mile on the track, to XC, to triathlons, all the way up to the marathon.

2 // Your stand-by pre-race fuel

My “stand-by” has changed quite a bit over the years. There are definitely phases and kicks I’ve gone through…. though I wouldn’t follow my example of that season of high school XC where I thought candy corn was responsible for my kick (until I crashed and burned).

However, I will give the following recommendations:

1 // Coffee is not a question of if but of Mexican dark roast or Twin Cities Blend? 2 // [IMO] Slightly upping the carbs the week before a big race is a better idea than shoving your face with spaghetti the night before. Have a nice, balanced dinner, but nix the pasta party. 3 // Kona Kola Nuun is not only deliciously amazing (amazingly delicious??), but also a life saver. 4 // Twizzlers & Raisin Bran on the beach while waiting forever and a half for your wave to start is actually a pretty good idea… 5 // Agua, H2O, dihydrogen monoxide, oxygen (di-)hydride, mizu, WATER!! All week leading up to the race.

Jamie


@ SwimBikeRunLive

1 // What races do you participate in?

I participate primarily in triathlons, mostly half ironmans.

2 // Your stand-by pre-race fuel

My favorite pre-race breakfast is nothing special. I try to keep it pretty similar to what I normally eat in the morning. My pre race breakfast is usually a bowl of Frosted Flakes, a banana and some sports drink. My fav is First Endurance EFS. I will sip on a bottle when I get up and then another while setting up the transition area and waiting for the race to start. My stomach doesn’t like too much in it as soon as I get up, especially with pre-race butterflies flapping around, so I focus primarily on staying hydrated instead of chewing up solids.

Laura

@ Frayed Laces

1 // What races do you participate in?

I’ve raced just about everything, from 5ks to 50 mile ultras.  In years past I’ve been primarily a runner, but recently got into triathlon and just qualified for the Ironman world champs in Kona this year.

2 // Your stand-by pre-race fuel

I always have the same pre-race breakfast, no matter what the distance.  A few hours before the race I have a bowl of oatmeal with raisins, soy protein powder, and cinnamon.  I also have about 3 cups of coffee.  About 45 mins before the race start I’ll have a banana. I think the most important thing is to race using the same conditions you’ve trained with. I am not a fan of having a huge breakfast before a meal, as I don’t race well with a lot of food in my stomach.  I don’t even have a big dinner the night before.  Instead, if I have a major event (marathon, ultramarathon, half ironman, etc) I have a slightly larger than normal lunch, and then an early dinner.  During longer distance events I rely on keeping myself adequately fueled by taking in a steady supply of GU.

Lindsey & James Cotter

@ CotterCrunch & The Cotter Chronicles

James’ Race eats:

1 // What races do you participate in?

I compete in triahthlons professionally. Main races are half ironmans and a couple full ironmans per season

2 // Your stand-by pre-race fuel

Pre race fuel are usually oats or gluten free corn flakes. The wife makes me a small bowl of rolled oats and sticks them in the fridge overnight. In the morning she’ll had banana, cinnamon, honey, and maybe just a tad scoop of vanilla whey protein to mix in.

1 bottle of EFS by first endurance (an electrolyte drink) to take with breakfast and another bottle 45 minutes before race (sip on it in transition area while setting up). Then 15 minutes before race start I’ll take First Endurance Pre-Race powder (caffience stimulation powder) mixed with 4 oz of water.

Lindsays Eats:

1 // What races do you participate in?

No triathlons for me right now. Sold my bike and will get a new one later in the year. That being said, lots of Half marathons this summer/fall! WHOO HOO!

2 // Your stand-by pre-race fuel

I have a gluten intolerance and can’t handle much before a race so here’s what works for me before a half mary.

2 brown rice cakes (gluten free brand) with sun nut butter or almond butter, 1/2 banana, and honey on top. I sometimes add some sea salt crystals just to get some extra sodium in if its going to be a HOT HUMID race. Oh and COFFEE COFFEE is a must. I usually drink an electrolyte drink on the way to race sight (like EFS by first endurance). Then I during the race I make sure to have honey stingers with me. They are easy to chew and stick in my pocket. I alternate between gatorade and water for the majority of the race.

Post race (usually about 30 minutes after), I love CHOCOLATE MUSCLE MILK! The light kind is easy on my stomach because its lactose free and gluten free. I usually grab some fruit with it.  Its the perfect recovery fuel you can tag along with you to races.

READER Qs: What is YOUR “go-to” pre-race breakfast? Have you had any big breakfast blow-ups?

El fin.

Almost! If you haven’t noticed… I haven’t been posting much about my own training and pre-racing and racing hoo-ha lately. [I mean hoo-ha in the sense of "all that nonsense" or "all that business". Urban Dictionary might lead you astray....] And, that would be because I haven’t been racing. BUT, going by my last post, and my facebook photo, hopefully you all can see I’m still WORKING. There is a method to this madness, but a method where I’ve had to put my faith in God to follow. Not fe ciega mind you – although I’ll admit, I do have a bit of that – but guided faith. This is another one of my I’m so much smarter of an athlete now than I was then moments, and it feels RIGHT. Haha I didn’t say good, but it’s definitely right.

And speaking of good and right, there’s a company I want to make sure you guys know about. I say “make sure” because I had never heard of them until my girl Mrs. Frayed Laces enlightened me. And I’m SO glad she did! You can expect to hear more about them in the near future, but in the mean time, click on over to America’s Nutrition. Fair warning that you WILL want to fill you shopping cart, because they have something for EVERYONE. My “heavy lifters” … my marathon junkies … everyone. So fill your cart as you wish, but don’t hit check out just yet!!

[Muah ha ha!! What a tease.]

PEACE.

-E

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The Triathlon Rx | August 9, 2010
14 comments

All good things…

They say “All good things must come to an end.” Well, no… let’s not play that he said/she said game. Somewhere around 1374, Geoffrey Chaucer actually stated something closer to, “There is an end to everything, to good things as well.”

As August is speeding past faster than the Tokyo bullet train (shinkansen!!) I suddenly found myself with this wrinkled forehead, this sense of tension. The second I finally felt as though I was getting into the swing of things – a “new normal” and something good – I realized it’s all going to change. To come to an end. Within minutes, my (type A+) mind built a mile-long TO DO: list of all things still needing to be done before the start of the fall semester.

Go pick up books. [Attempt to] sell past years’ text books. Pay for UPass. Rent rec center locker. Figure out student loan situation. Figure out CAR loan situation. Find [a used] new car. See grandparents. See cousins before they go back to school. Book ticket to see Dad, and please dear Lord before Christmas! Finish redoing bedroom/paint/new bedroom furniture sets. Clean out old clothes. Yard sale. Haul 75% of things not sold at said yard sale to Good Will. Figure out school year employment. Figure out how to combine school year employment/training/full-time-STUDENT (aka, primary reason I’m paying to get an education….) What am I going to do post-kinesiology. Pre-med vs. Physical Therapy. And what the heck, I didn’t even say make time for God?!

And I wasn’t even going to write that list but it all just came out, like my lemonade was spiked with a literary emetic.

But then I stopped, and remembered the action of exhalation. And in the same two-seconds it took to grow that list, I came to three important understandings.

1. I found a new normal. I struggled with being “thrown off” without running. I wallowed in my pity-party-of-one for a good minute a week long enough. I thought about what I can do. I got my attitude in check. I made changes. And look at me… I made progress.

2. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. (Philippeans 4:13) And by all things I do not mean that I get to create this monstrous* to-do list, and then say, Aright homes – show me your love. I mean that whatever struggles I may face in the material world, I have Christ’s strength backing me, guiding me, and helping me through. I have faith that I will accomplish whatever needs to be done, and what doesn’t will fall to the wayside. I tend to create more anxiety over smaller issues, which in turn stops me from taking in the whole picture. It’s that mountains out of molehills thing… I’ve never even seen a mole for goodness sakes. No matter how wrink-frickin-finkled my forehead gets, I will get through it.

(* I am attempting to eliminate the word “epic”, or at least the misuse of it, from my vocabulary. Call me out if I slip up.)

3. Did I really just say I wasn’t making time for God? No. There are weeks where I stress myself out about not making time to go to mass. Not making time to read and study the bible. But then I stop, and remember the walk I took around the lake… chatting with the Man the whole way. I remember the long drives we take and the jokes and heart-to-hearts that pass the time. (You know when you see someone pulled up next to you, think they’re talking to themselves, and then realize they have one of those cell-phone ear piece things? No… I don’t. You just can’t see my home boy in the passenger seat. No biggie.) I remember that my relationship with Christ is not something I “make time” for. It’s something that is present all the time. I don’t, can’t, and don’t want to separate the IT from me. And I don’t know why I felt the need to put this out there on my running/triathlon/medicine/college life blog, but here I am. Roll.

To explain my current state of being, you could combine Jay Z’s 99 Problems and Matthew West’s More. Hmm… on second thought, lets leave them separate. ;)

So what did I just accomplish in this way-too-long amount of time it took me to write this? Well for one, that wrinkle in my forehead is gone. 99 Problems on repeat tends to have that effect. For two (alright, I’m going back to school. Secondly…) I really did drink a Nalgene full of lemonade… but I promise there was no emetic involved. The word-vomit just happens sometimes. :) And thirdly, I think Chaucer was maybe just having a bad day. Yeah, you could say “all [good] things come to an end” … but you could also say all good things have gotta’ start somewhere. I’m excited to go back to school. I’m excited about these musculos. I’m excited about my new goals and even the minimal bit of running I get to do right now. I’m excited about the “new normal” of human physiology and sports psychology this fall. I’m excited about life, because I know you only get out what you put in…

So I ask you not what is coming to an end, but what are you starting?

-E

Link sponsored by CSN Stores, which has over 200+ sites and a selection of items for just about everything. I am excited that they are an awesome company, and helping me with the start of something good. Stick around and you’ll have a chance to too!

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The Triathlon Rx | August 4, 2010
13 comments

I am still a triathlete…

… The question is, does that statement end with a ?? or a !!

Sorry guys, I know it’s been quite a while. And while sh¡ts and giggles about eating “tree stars” for breakfast is nice and all, that’s not what Dr.TriRunner is about. Thankfully though, Betsy was nice enough to call me out on it. I have definitely shaken the funk that brought me down in early July when I first found out about my sfx. That’s great – obviously no one enjoys being down. But I still don’t feel like I’ve fallen into any sort of “normal” routine or training schedule yet.

Athletically speaking, a “normal” summer for me (“normal” I guess only in reference to the last 4ish years. I’m not that old…) would look like ~50-80 mpw of running, gearing up for or gearing down from a marathon, plenty of core and XT, but damnit anyways!! I still HATED biking. I’d do it to and from work – it was free transportation, but I got zero enjoyment from the “sport.” A permanent Gomer tan around my arm, with sports bra/shorts lines to match. Racing ~2x per month. And expecting to be fast.

Please let me introduce Sperly Summer 2010:

  • On Tuesday, June 15th, I stopped running. I didn’t know what was going on with my tibia, but I knew it was no good.
  • On Wednesday, June 30th, I marked in my calendar “Long ride – SOLO!!” Emphasis on solo… not so much long. It was only 40 miles, but the first time I had done anything 30+ on my own. With two exclamation marks to follow, it sounds like I might have been kinda proud of that.
  • On Thursday, July 8th, a left tibial stress fracture was confirmed. The MRI also showed evidence of fibrous dysplasia (the genetic b.s. cause of my femoral neck fracture in 2008) in my right tibia. I was there to find out about my possibly-fractured left tibia though… so that was like a free bonus I think.
  • On Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, July 9th/10th/11th, I pool ran without a belt for longer than I ever have in a teeny tiny bathtub swimming pool in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
  • By Wednesday, July 28th, I had pretty much married the words long+ride+Wednesday, because looking back at my calendar I hit 40+ miles, solo, every Wednesday in July. A new normal? Which is a good thing, because…
  • On Friday, July 30th, on my way to the swim workout, I realized my clutch was on the floor. We already knew my Honda was essentially dunzo, so the mad dash to find a [used] new car began. From Saturday 07/31 to Wednesday 08/04 I logged 151 bike miles.
  • Realizing that trying to research/find/purchase a car in one week was putting me on anxiety-overload, I decided to fix my clutch. In doing to, I RAN, three miles, at turtles-running-through-peanut-butter pace, from the auto shop back to my house. $200 later, I have been reunited with my accord, but I can say YES I am keeping my Wednesday long rides, and YES I am still a runner, and YES I am a triathlete. !!

(And no, I don’t still “hate biking.”) :D

I know no one would watch it on TV… not even me. But pool running might just be my only chance at becoming an olympic athlete!!

So here I am. I have run. I have ridden. And I have REALLY [needed to make this alliteration work] loved swimming in Lake Harriet. All my mini-apple triathletes… come join me! The water is crazy clear, and the buoys are set on “long course.” :D I really am serious though… I’m not waking up at the butt-crack of dawn to do it, but I WILL be continuing my OWSs in my back yard lake. And I’d love the company. Eh? Mr. Speedo? Fit Girl? M.Dot? DRog? BigGreen? All the cool kids are doing it. Two words: Peer. Pressure.

(By “all the cool kids” I think I mean me. And Mr. Wrinkles who was there today, but let me tell you that man was way cool, side strokes like a beast, and super willing to share the lake.)

But just because I feel like I AM still a triathlete  - shoot, I don’t even care about the tri part right now – that doesn’t entirely establish a “new normal“… leaving me still without a plan. If you aren’t fortunate enough to know anyone who is “very Type A” or as I like to say, type A+ … I will inform you right now that [I] they don’t function well without a plan. In fact, they might very well implode. And because imploding is generally frowned upon, I turn to coach. Coach Jodi.

If you read Dr.TriRunner via Google Reader, or something of the likes, I encourage you to click through. See that left side bar? See that Model Per4mance logo? That is how I have come to know/love/fear/admire Mrs. Jodi Jones. She knows her stuff. She will be honest and straight forward with you. She will call you out if it is merited. She will push you to push yourself, and she will help you to reach your goals. And then, she’ll help you celebrate them! This is starting to sound like a girl crush diary entry, so I’ll just end in saying that I’m getting new PLANS from coach Jodi this week. My goal is to improve my swim time. And with these plans, I feel confident I’ll settle into some sort of “new normal.” Alleluia.

Reader Questions: What does your normal summer look like? Does your training change seasonally, or does it stay the same year round? What is your current goal?

With THAT my friends, it is time for me to run to Target. With my brand-spankin-new clutch. And my Grandma’s Marathon Finisher tee.

I AM [still] an athlete. !!

-E

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